March 26, 2024

Exceptional dinosaur footprints in remarkable condition are now on display at the Museum of Evolution in Knuthenborg. The footprints, measuring up to 43 cm in length, were discovered in Greenland and the USA and are being exhibited in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

The Museum of Evolution in Knuthenborg, which opened in the summer of 2023, houses some of the world’s rarest, most complete, and most valuable fossils of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. A new and significant addition to the storytelling of evolutionary history is now being unveiled: 15 unique dinosaur footprints, also known as ichnites, along with a series of connected tracks found in Greenland.

Christoffer Knuth, director of Knuthenborg, states:
“Dinosaur footprints are not just traces in the sand – they are a direct connection to our past and offer an extraordinary understanding of dinosaur movements, interactions, and behavior. The new exhibit at the Museum of Evolution showcases many different types of footprints, which we hope will help foster a deeper understanding and connection to our shared natural history. We are very proud of our own collection of footprints and honored that the Natural History Museum of Denmark, in collaboration with Greenland's National Museum, has chosen the Museum of Evolution as the ideal place to exhibit the connected tracks.”

One of the exhibition’s highlights is the complete ichnite tracks from Greenland, showing a sequence of footprints left by three-toed dinosaurs. The tracks were discovered south of Mount MacKnight in eastern Greenland in 2012. These footprints, more than 211 million years old, likely belong to theropods, predatory dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic and Triassic periods.

Laura Jane Cotton, assistant professor and curator of paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, comments:
“A dinosaur leaves behind only one skeleton, but potentially hundreds of footprints, many eggs, and lots of dung! These traces of their daily lives are incredibly important for understanding how dinosaurs behaved. The series of dinosaur footprints is a beautiful example of this and provides a unique glimpse into the paths crossed by three or more different dinosaurs during the Triassic period. We are thrilled that this fossil is being exhibited at the Museum of Evolution, allowing more people to experience this insight into the lives of Triassic dinosaurs.”

Additionally, 15 newly discovered footprints are now on display, featuring finds from France, as well as various locations in the USA, including New Jersey, Connecticut, New Mexico, and coal mines in Utah.